Mail-bag fastener



(N0 Model.)

J. BARTLETT.

MAIL BAG FASTENBR.

N0, 585,174. Patented June 29, 189m WITNESS/5S s fue cams Pneus co..Pnorcmmo.. wnsmncrom u. r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETEE.

JEREMY BARTLETT, OF COLLINS, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN- TVELFTHS TOVILLIAM W. HENRY, OF LITTLE VALLEY, AND RODNEY R. CROWLEY, OF RANDOLPH,NEW' YORK. Y

MAIL-BAG YFASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 58 5,174, dated June29, 1897.l

Application led January 2, 1897. Serial No. 617,752. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMY BARTLETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Collins, in the county of Erie, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bag Fasteners; andI hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure`l is a plan view of the top portion (back) ofa'rnail-bag, the hasp and tag-holder in elevation and the chain andhook-fastener and staples in dotted lines, the bag being shown as closedand secured. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the top portion of the mail-bagreverse (or flap) side, the flap being closed down and the staple-platesshown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a plan view, same side as shown in Fig.2, the flap being raised and portions of the front Wall of the bag andthe fold or sheath which conceals the fastener broken away to discloseportions of the fastener.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of devices for securing themouths of mailpouches, and has for its object to produce an efficient,simple, light, and inexpensive fastener Which can be quickly operated tosecure and release the liap of the Inail-bag or to close and open themouth of the bag.

To this end the main feature of my invention embraces the combination,with a series of pivoted hooks, of a plurality of iiexible nonextensibleconnections attached to said hooks on opposite sides of their pivotalpoints, whereby the fastening devices are operated from and secured atpoints on both sides of their points of rotation.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinaftermore fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more specifically, so thatothers skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the saine.

In the drawings, A indicates the inailpouch, and B the liap thereof,provided With the usual or any approved form of staples b, attachedthereto by the staple-plates c. The alined series of staples b b arethose through which the hooks of the fastener pass, while the centralleading staple 7L is the one which engages the hasp H.

In that portion of the wall of the bag and in the envelop or sheath awhich covers and conceals the fastening devices are a series of slots bb2 for the passage of the staples Z) I), &c., which receive the hooks ofthe fastener, and opposite the hasp-staple h is a slot 7L, which passesthrough both walls of the bag and through the intermediate envelop orsheathv a for the passage of hasp-staple 7L, which projects at the backof the bag for the reception of the hasp H.

The hasp H is pivoted in a hasp-plate H, firmly secured to the bag byvrivets or iu other suitable manner, and to the inner end of thehasppivot, within the bag, is secured a short lever l.

On the inner wall of the bag, secured thereto by rivets or in othersuitable manner, in line with and preferably equidistant from each otherand from the pivot of the hasp H, are a series of pivot-plates 2, oneach of which plates is pivoted the vertical shank 3fL of a hook 3, ator about' mid-length of the shank, said shanks so arranged that when thehooks 3 3 are within the staples b and the bag is locked the said Shanksshall stand parallel wit-l1 each other and with the lever l, attached tothe pivot of thehasp H.

The Shanks 3fL of the hooks 3 are connected' with each other and withthe lever l by a plurality of flexible non-extensible connections 4 -atleast two-one. on each side of the pivotal points, andpreferablyequidist-ant from said pivotal points, so that on the rotationof the lever l power shall be applied simultaneously to all thehook-Shanks in opposite directions and on opposite sides of the pivotalpoints thereof, and thus insure easy Y IOO movement of the hook-shanksthat might occur or be caused in case of a single chain or flexibleconnection between the hook-shanks, and thus the plurality of chains onopposite sides of the pivots of the hook-Shanks prevents the independentmanipulation of any hook or its removal from the staple by accident ordesign, and as the hooks 3 are curved or arcshaped to facilitate theirentering the staples b the connection 5, which is between the curve ofthe hook and the pivot, will act as a keeper to the hook and affordadditional security to the fastener.

The preferred form of the fiexible connections I 5 between thehook-Shanks 3 and the lever l is that of a chain composed of alternateflat or plate links 6, with which the lever I and hook-Shanks 3 arepivotally connected, as at G, and intermediate rod-links 7, whichfacilitate the folding of the bag without permitting' the displacementof the hooks.

The hasp H may be provided with inturned flanges, which not only renderthe hasp more rigid, but constitute a holder T for the reception of atag or card, and said hasp is preferably arranged to stand and moveparallel with lever l and hook-Shanks 3, so that the position of thehasp at all times indicates the position of the hooks 3 or fastener.

The fastening devices when secured within the mouth of the bag arecovered and concealed by a sheath or fold a of leather, which mayberiveted at intervals to the wall of the bag to prevent any tamperingwith the fastener.

The fastener, being constructed substantially as hercinbefore specified,will be operated as follows: The bag being locked and in the positionindicated in Fig. I of the drawings, the hasp II is raised from thestaple 7L and rotated to the right, as indicated by the arrow, Fig. l,whereupon the lever l and hook-Shanks i5 will rotate to the right, thussimultaneously withdrawing all the hooks 3 from the staples h, afterwhich the bag' can be turned over and the flap raised to expose themouth of the sack. To lock the bag, fold down the flap and place the bagon a flat surface with flap underneath, whereupon the several stapleswill register with and enter their respective slots, when the hasp IImay be rotated from right to left to bring it back into line withhaspsstaple 7L, which movement of the hasp will, through lever l andchains I 5, be communicated simultaneously to all the hook-Shanks 3,causing the hooks 3 to enter the staples b and secure the mouth of thebag, after which the usual padlock will be applied to secure the haspII.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mail-bag fastener, the combination with a series of pivotedhooks, of a plurality of fiexible non-extensible connections saidconnections attached to each of said hooks on opposite sides of theirpivotal points; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a mail-bag fastener, the combination with a pivoted hasp, of aseries of pivoted hooks, and a plurality of flexible non-extensibleconnections which connect the hasp and cach of the hooks of said serieson opposite sides of their pivotal points; substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

In a inail-bag fastener the combination of a series of pivoted hooks,and a plurality of non-extensible chain connections therefor, saidconnections having plate -links with which each hook of the series isconnected on opposite sides of the pivotal point of the hook;substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a mail-bag fastener the combination of a series of pivoted hooks,and a plurality of non-extensible chain connections therefor, cach ofsaid chain connections consisting of plate and rod links, the shanks ofcach hook of the series being connected with a platelink of each of thechain connections on op posite sides ot' the pivotal point of the hook;substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 12th day of December, 1396.

lVi tnesscs:

F. A. Rrionns, W. W. HENRY.

